Kelley School Creates Manufacturing Research Center At IUPUI To Address Globalization, Technology

The Indiana University Kelley School of Business is creating a new manufacturing research center on the IUPUI campus.

A $1 million gift from alumnus Gregg Sherrill and his wife Sabine will support a directorship for the center. 

"The success of the American economy has been driven, in large part, by manufacturing, and throughout my 40 years in the manufacturing sector, I've seen time and again the need to adapt and change as manufacturing changes. Business leaders today face increased competitive pressures globally, challenging economic conditions, a dynamic political landscape and an unprecedented rate of technological change," said Gregg Sherrill, executive chairman of the board of Tenneco Inc. and past chair of the National Association of Manufacturers board.

There is a need for specialized programs that train the next generation of talent to make U.S. manufacturing globally competitive says Mark Frohlich, Gregg and Sabine Sherrill Director of Excellence in Manufacturing.

“This revolution in manufacturing has been going on for a few years and we have been waiting for an opportunity to launch a new research center to support our teaching, academic research and many manufacturers around Indiana,” Frohlich says.

"Manufacturing is changing before our eyes. With 3-D printing and the ability to digitize and automate, we can design and build products that have never existed before," Frohlich added. "Companies are investing in technology and rethinking their products. Current and future business leaders are moving to upgrade their skills and be ready for these dramatic changes in manufacturing. The Kelley School will now offer the tools to get them there."

The center’s course for Evening MBA students, called “Strategic Management and Leadership,” begins this summer. An undergraduate course will be offered next spring.

In addition to manufacturing strategy courses, the center’s staff will work directly with Indiana companies and conduct research in the field to create new strategies for managers in manufacturing.

Sherrill received his MBA from Kelley in 1991.